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Technology Stocks : Ascend Communications (ASND) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Larry J. who wrote (36824)	3/1/1998 5:48:00 AM
From: djane	Respond to of 61433

<< Djane, that was an excellent post and all your points were valid and very accurate, in my opinion. However...what I want to know is: where the hell have you been hiding all this time?? ;o) Thanks for the analysis.>> Larry, I know 5 people who read the ASND thread religiously (SI as a secular religion?) but don't really feel that they have much to add and haven't posted. I won't clutter up the thread in the future unless I think something has been overlooked. Thanks for your comments. djane

To: Larry J. who wrote (36824)	3/1/1998 7:53:00 PM
From: Glenn D. Rudolph	Respond to of 61433

Cableton honcho's big plans By Robin Schreier Hohman Network World, 3/2/98 Rochester, N.H. - In the six months since Don Reed took over as Cabletron Systems, Inc.'s CEO, one thing has become perfectly clear: This is no longer Bob Levine's Cabletron. Fresh from acquiring Digital Equipment Corp.'s network organization and routing switch start-up YAGO Systems, Inc., Reed said he now is on the prowl for companies that can help Cabletron leapfrog its three largest internetwork rivals. He's eyeing software vendors that can extend the company's Spectrum network management platform, as well as remote access technology companies that can bolster Cabletron's core switches. Reed last week outlined a series of efforts during a wide-ranging discussion with Network World. These efforts include: Establishing a West Coast presence alongside Cabletron's bigger rivals Creating an electronic commerce site to rival that of Cisco Systems, Inc. Knocking down barriers between Cabletron - known for its strong direct sales organization - and resellers In addition, Reed is restructuring Cabletron into three businesses: the Enterprise Business Unit, the Service Provider Business Unit and the Software Business Unit. The Enterprise Business Unit encompasses the products at the core of the old Cabletron - switches and hubs - as well as the people and technology obtained via the Digital Network Products Business acquisition. The division is being run by John d'Auguste, former vice president of operations at Gateway 2000. The Service Provider Business Unit, based at Digital's Acton, Mass., facility, will focus on developing products and supporting customers in the Internet service provider and telecommunications carrier markets. Reed has promoted Giulio Gianturco to president of the new division. Gianturco was vice president for sales and marketing at Digital's Network Products Business. He was also a key player in establishing Digital's channel partnerships. Cabletron has not yet named a president for its Software Business Unit, which will focus on developing and selling Spectrum. Although Reed expects to rely on all of his business unit presidents, he will lean particularly hard on Gianturco when it comes to improving Cabletron's channel relations. ''I've met with senior executives from all the major channels in the last two to three months,'' said Reed, who learned that in the past the channels, ''haven't felt very good about Cabletron because we haven't supported them. '' Cabletron will still keep the top 600 accounts for its direct sales force, but ''anything beyond that, we are channel-ready on,'' he said. Cabletron is also building another avenue through which customers can buy the company's products: a Web site. The electronic commerce site will work much the same way Cisco's has. ''We're shamelessly stealing from our competition,'' Reed said. Cisco has reportedly sold nearly $2 billion worth of goods over the Internet since October 1996. Reed also is not above following Cisco's example of acquiring companies to fill in product gaps. ''We're looking for companies in the area of remote access and applications for Spectrum because we need to get to the market quickly [in this area],'' he said. Additionally, Cabletron is interested in investing several million dollars in start-ups, though not necessarily buying the companies outright, Reed said. ''[The Chase Manhattan Bank] is now our banker of record,'' he said. ''They're helping us do the start-up scan so that we can figure out what the right emerging technologies are.'' Perhaps the most visible change for Cabletron will be in its marketing and branding strategies. For the first time, the company has hired an outside ad agency, Donino, White and Partners, of Atlanta. As a result, expect to see Cabletron ads where you've never seen them before.